Village Tree Policy

I am proud to present to you Port Washington North’s first Village Tree Policy. The Board and I believe it will serve as an important tool in helping us understand and manage one of our most beautiful and important assets; our trees.

This policy comes at an opportune time and coordinates well with other initiatives our Village is undertaking, such as reclaiming and developing our waterfront, acquiring large parcels of land for open space and recreational use, and developing a smart growth strategy for development. All of these require, in some form or another, a tree policy to reference if they are to be implemented successfully.

Our Tree Policy speaks of preserving trees, planting more trees than are felled, and understanding the challenges our Village must face when trees and infrastructure collide. We face some very difficult decisions about our Village street trees when it comes to sidewalk, curb and road damage, utility and sewer encroachment, and the health and well being of these trees.

The efforts of the Village Tree Policy will help to guide us forward with a plan that involves understanding the issues at hand, a process to tackle the problems that exist, and most importantly, to enlighten the residential community and our commercial land and business owners with respect to any action being taken. The Village recognizes how important our trees are for our well being, our property values, and our environment.

I am aware of the previous issues that surfaced when the Village proposed, and ultimately, followed through with the removal of numerous trees in our Village when new roads were being constructed. I am also aware of the many residents who have called to have trees removed because of lifting sidewalks and problems with roots entering their
sewer lines. It is clear that there are many opinions as to what should be done with our mature Village street trees. This Policy will hopefully put to rest any questions as to how these issues are decided.

What the Village needs more than anything is the support of the entire Port Washington North community and its commitment to abide by this Policy to ensure a beautiful and green future for our Village.